Foundation for checkerwork construction



Dec. 13, 1938.

G. L. DANFORTH, JR

FOUNDATION FOR CHECKERWORK CONSTRUCTION OriginalFiled Match 2, 1936 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Q Q @Q Q Patented Dec. '13, 1938 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE FOUNDATION FOR CHECKERWORK CONSTRUCTION Original application March 2, 1936, Serial No.

4 Claims.

' 10 vide a foundation for a checkerwork assembly which has improved stability, which is relatively simple and inexpensive to build, and which pre- I sents a minimum of obstruction to the flow of air or gas.

A further object is to provide a foundation for a checkerwork assembly .in which arches are mounted upon the usual longitudinally extending piers, which foundation has the advantage that said arches are, through relatively inexpensive .means, held against warpage and side movement in service. a

A further object is to provide a construction well adapted to meet the needs of commercial service. 25 Further objects will appear as the description proceeds.

Referring to the drawings- Figure l. is a longitudinal section through a checkerwork construction embodying the prin- 30 ciples of the present invention;

-Figure 2 is a vertical section indicated by the arrows 2--2 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 shows, in fragmentary sections, views taken along the planes indicated by the stepped 3 section line indicated by the arrows 33 of Figure 1;

Figure 4 is a view on an enlarged scale of a portion of the construction shown in Figure 1: and Figure 5 is a corresponding fragmentary view 40 taken along the plane indicated by the arrows 5-5 of Figure 4.

Referring to Figures 1 to 3 inclusive, a portion of a regenerator I is illustrated as having the side walls Il-I I, the bottom I2, the top wall 45 I2, and the end walls "-44. The regenerator III has the conventional passageways Ila-44a for the passage of air and gas. Disposed lengthwise of the regenerator III are the foundation piers I5, which are adapted to support the check- 6 erwork within the regenerator III. Said piers lU-IS may he stepped in height longitudinally, as shown in Figure Lthree steps being illustrated, indicated by the numerals Iia, lib and lie. Disposed in arched relationship transverse- 55 1y between adjacent piers II and the side walls Divided and this application July 24, 1937, Serial No. 155,422

II' are the arches I6--I6. Said arches I6-I6 are built up to have fiat tops, as shown in Figure'2, to facilitate their checker supporting functions, and the dimension of each of said arches is preferably narrow in a direction longitudinally of the regenerator. Said arches are, of course, spaced longitudinally of said regenerator. In order to have ample working room between the piers Il5, the arches I6 should be of considerable length. By reason of the fact that their dimensions longitudinally of the regenerator are limited, it will be found necessary to rigidly hold said arches I6 in position. For-this purpose a plurality of series of foundation blocks are provided, which foundation blocks are indicated by the numerals -l'|I|. Said foundation blocks II-I'l are deeply notched on their lower edges whereby to provide the long legs I la and the shoulders I'Ib-I'Ib. Said long legs I'Ia are adapted to lie between the adjacent arches l6 and 29 said shoulders I'Ib-IIb are adapted to rest upon the tops of said arches I6. Said legs IIa provide side bearings for the arches I6 (at the center portions of said arches) throughout the greater part of the vertical dimension of said arches.

The head portions of said foundation blocks Il--II are adapted to substantially abut longitudinally of the regenerator as shown in Figure 1 and are arranged in parallel files extending longitudinally of the regenerator, which files are 30 spaced apart transversely of said regenerator. The foundation blocks disposed at the jun'ctures of the steps I5a, I56 and I50 are of slightly different contour than the other foundation blocks. The leg' portion of each of the foundation blocks just referred to is longer than the correspond-Z ing leg portion of the other. foundation blocks and is provided with a shoulder portion I8. The bottom of e ch shoulder portion I8 is adapted to rest upon an arch I6, and the upper surface 40 of each shoulder portion I8 is adapted to line up with they upper surface of the adjacent foundation blocks II -I'I.

The construction and arrangement of .foundation blocks II-l'l produce a plurality of steps of flat bearing surfaces indicated by the numerals I9, 20 and 2|. The spaced apart parallel files of foundation blocks I'l-I'I provide channels 22-22 communicating with the longitudinal. passages provided by the foundation piers I5I5. I

Carried by the foundation blocks ll-l'l is an assembly of checkers 2323. The design of the checkers 23-23 forms no part of the present invention, but'p'referably said checkers should be so designed that the liability of slipping thereof as ferred to use the type of checker disclosed and claimed in the Peterson Patent No. 1,687,786, which checker is illustrated in the figures of the drawing accompanying application Serial No. 66,648, particularly in Figure 12 thereof. It will be understood, however, that the invention is not limited to the particular checker illustrated.

The top part of the checkerwork within the regenerator 10 need not be described in detail. It may be stated briefly that the top part of the checkerwork of the regenerator receives the greatest amount of punishment from the hot gases,, and accordingly a construction is illustrated in which it will be necessary to renew only this portion of the checkerwork after the destructive effect of a furnace campaign. Accordingly, the assembly of the checkerbricks 2323 extends up to a plane indicated in Figure 1 by the numeral ,24. This plane 24 is chosen at a level below which the destructive effects of the hot gases are not so great as to require frequent replacement. The checkerbricks (including the foundation blocks l'l--l1) below the plane 24 will in service amount to more than half of the total checker construction in the regenerator Ill. The removal of checkers above the plane 24 will give ample working space to clean the checkerwork therebelow by the use of compressed air, or by lancing, or by any other method commonly used. There is ample space below the remaining checkerwork,

, that is-in the space below the arches IE-IB, to

permit the removal of dust which setles in this space while the furnace is in operation and which settles due to the cleaning of the checkerwork thereabove.

Though the details of construction of the checkerbrick above the foundation blocks I'll'l form no part of the present invention, it may be stated briefly that it is preferred to utilize above the plane 24 checkers laid on edge, of standard dimensions and shape, or checkers of conventional shape and close to standard dimensions, whereby the cost of said checkers is low and whereby said checkers, after they are removed, have a resale value. To this end the checkers in the regenerator above the surface 24 are preferably right parallelopipeds, or, in other words, they are bricks with no special notches or deformation of any kind so that they can be used for second-hand purposes when not good enough for use for regenerative purposes.

It will be noted that the longitudinal center lines of the arches l6l6 have the same spacing as the longitudinal center lines of the parallel rows of checkerbrick extending transversely of the regenerator. In other words, the longitudinal center lines of the arches are in vertical alignment with the longitudinal center lines of the transversely extending rows of checkerbrick. Therefore, the multiplicity of arches and the foundation blocks carried thereby, with their in service is minimized. It is at present prelong legs Ila, provide a stable structure having a very large amount of exposed surface for regenerator purposes.

Though a preferred embodiment of the present invention has been described in detail, many modifications will occur to those skilled in the art. It is intended to cover all such modifications that fall within the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. In a. foundation for a checker assembly, in combination, a plurality of elongated foundation members, arch members extending between and supported by said foundation members, and foundation blocks interfitting with said arch members and supported by said arch members, said foundation blocks having downwardly extending legs providing side bearings for said arch members, which legs at the center portions of said arch members extend throughout the greater part of the vertical dimensions of said arch members.

2. A foundation for a checkerwork assembly comprising, in combination, a plurality of supporting elements disposed in spaced parallel relationship with one another, and foundation blocks having opposite lower corners notched out to interlock with said supporting elements, said foundation blocks having legs extending downwardly between said supporting elements and providing side bearings for said supporting elements which at the center portions of said supporting elements extend throughout the greater part of the vertical dimensions of said supporting elements.

3. A foundation for a checkerwork assembly comprising, in combination, a plurality of supporting elements disposed in spaced parallel relationship with one another, and foundation blocks carried by said supporting elements, said foundation blocks having downwardly extending legs disposed between said supporting elements and providing extended bearing contact with said supporting elements transversely of said supporting elements throughout the major part of the vertical dimensions of said supporting elements at the mid regions of said supporting elements.

4. A foundation for a checkerwork assembly comprising, in combination, a plurality of supporting elements disposed in spaced parallel relationship with on another, said supporting elements having fiat tops, and foundation blocks carried by said supporting elements, said foundation blocks having downwardly extending legs disposed between said supporting elements and providing extended bearing contact with said supporting elements transversely of said supporting elements throughout the major part of the vertical dimensions of saidsupporting elements at the mid regions of said supporting elements.

GEORGE L. DANFORTH, JR. 

